Category: Body Armor

We’ve covered the first two components of the MVT Lite Fight Concept —Lite Hydration Pack (LHP) and plate carrier. However, I haven’t wrapped up my comments relating to plates. Here are my notes: Ballistic Plates: There is a persistent tomfoolery about steel plates. These are heavy, suffer badly from spalling (ever shot a steel target; you are wearing one). You cannot navigate while wearing them (magnetic compass). In the winter it would be like wearing a refrigerator. Ceramic/hybrid plates are criticized for needing a little more care, like not throwing them off the back of your truck lest they crack (which …

DKX Max III Body Armor I like having body armor. I first bought some to wear while covering civil disturbances, but I was always happy to have it around in case of trouble around my home. My early stuff was soft armor that could be worn concealed and was intended to stop handgun rounds. Choosing body armor is a great conundrum, however. You have to consider the threat you might face and how much weight and bulk you can carry as well as how it affects your mobility. We will be looking at armor here that can protect you from …

Much has been written and discussed on SurvivalBlog lately about body armor, which is something many people mistakenly refer to as a “bulletproof vest”. There is no such thing as bulletproof vests. There are just vests that are designed to “resist” certain types of ammo of varying degrees of power. I make no claim to being any sort of expert when it comes to body armory. However, over the past 35-yrs or so, I have tested quite a bit of soft and hard body armor. My tests were not “scientific”; I just took body armor panels out and shot them …

The thing about armor plate on a vehicle is it’s really heavy. The point of a vehicle is that it moves. Also, the engine, transmission, and suspension are all built for the specific weight of the vehicle, not a couple thousand pounds of steel. If you add the weight of armor, you have to upgrade everything, or modify it to go slower with the existing system, without flipping over or disabling itself. Top Gear, a car show in the UK, actually tried this with SUVs a couple years ago. It did not work well. DIV Bond Car Pt. 1 video …

Hugh, Let me say that at one point I was the sole North American distributor for the German Wiesel 1 AWC. I never sold any, so that and a ten spot will buy me a cup of coffee at Starbucks. However, it did afford me an education in lots of bits and bobs. First, figure out what your engine is rated to haul. Then halve that number to be able to haul it around under harsh conditions. Lots of early armored cars and tanks suffered from a fine automobile engine being stuffed into a vehicle at the upper edge of …

Hello, I’m looking at putting plate steel inside the walls of a bus that I am converting, and I was wondering how thick of steel I should put in there for effective armor from rifle fire up to something like .30-06. Can you provide any guidance in this area? Thank you – T.K. Hugh Responds: If you are talking mild steel plates, there isn’t any thickness that I would recommend. Mild steel (the most common plate steel) is so soft that thicknesses of greater than 1” may be required. Many today use abrasion resistance steel (steel intended for large earth …

Hugh, One point concerning body armor I have always wondered is if the NIJ testing is done at shorter ranges. In theory shouldn’t armor offer higher levels of protection at longer ranges than the NIJ certification due to velocity loss (and with it, reduced energy)? I know it’s not as simple as looking at energy, but a 240 Grain, JHP .44 Magnum round has about 700 ft-lbs at 25 yards, while a M193 round has the same energy at about 250 yards (according to my iSnipe app). While a .44 Magnum projectile is a lot heavier, slower, with more surface …

Hugh, In response to K.W.’s concern, posted December 18, 2014, about M193 5.56 ball ammunition vs. Level III plates: It should be noted that two things defeat body armor– velocity and mass of the bullet. The NIJ 0101.06 (the most current) standards rate a Level III hard plate to stop a 7.62mm 147 grain steel jacketed bullet at 2780 feet per second. Considering the M193 travels right around 3000 fps (close to the NIJ standards) and the mass is significantly less, that should put you on the safe side. Incidentally, it seems some companies understand this concern and make sure …

Hugh, Just a few thoughts on the article about body armor. “The idea that you’re going to be wearing full-on body armor 24/7 during an SHTF situation is fantasy land.” That’s me, as accurately as I can remember, on a Facebook prepper group page. Yes, I’m one of those guys who doesn’t think body armor should be a high priority item. Certainly it shouldn’t be one before you have more basic preps squared away. Why is that? Well, having spent a decent portion of my life wearing the stuff, I know just how inconvenient it is. So, here are some …

Dear Hugh, The recent article, “Prepper Armor,” by J.J. was good but needs clarification. It seems a lot of faith is put in the statement that Level III armor “stops 5.56mm,” but this needs to be explained further. We have two basic 5.56 x 45mm rounds– the 62 grain SS109/M855 and the 55 grain M193. The former travels at 2,970fps when fired from a M4 16 inch barrel, while the latter is 3,200 fps at the muzzle. Most body armor retailers distinguish the “stopping power” of their product between these two rounds by categorically stating the SS109/M855 WILL be stopped. …

As a former military and police tactical officer, I want to write a bit about armor, why consider using it, what are the types, and best choices for various budgets. Why Armor? Many Preppers do not believe that armor is a needed part of their preparations. However, after spending a combined 30 years in the military and in police work, I can assure you that when things break down people will act badly. People will take your stuff, rape your family, and kill you and your family. Weapons and armor will be vital. Armor is expensive. However, if you or …

My sincerest condolences to the author. It’s always tragic to lose one of our own, especially as young as his father was at 42. Concerning the author’s questions, his Dad was wise on the policy of armor usage in a given AO. My personal combat experience, and lessons learned from others have taught me the following: Armor is a great tool, and only plated armor (lvl IV) counts when you have rifles pointed your way. Getting shot with armor/plates suck. There’s a lot of kinetic energy getting transferred from the bullet, to your armor, then to the sack of meat …

My father, MDL, was a long-time follower of SurvivalBlog. He spent his life in a constant but relaxed state of preparedness. When he found the website, he found kindred spirits from which he could learn and help learn through several articles he contributed. Often I would find him on his tablet reading old articles at odd hours when he couldn’t sleep. He and I would discuss what he had read and try to apply points not just to preparedness plans but to everyday life as well. I have many fond memories of quality time spent with him gardening, canning, dehydrating, …

Many firearms instructors, myself included, have a saying that goes something like this “train the way you fight.” Meaning that, if you’re training isn’t related to real-life scenarios, you’re doing something wrong. Outside of my basic NRA handgun classes, my other (limited) firearms training classes are geared to real-life training. When on the range, we don’t train you to stand there, squared off to a target, at a pre-determined range, and just stand there and shoot. No! Instead, my training consists of on-the-move training, as well as firing at a 180-degree area. We shoot right to left, and front to …

JWR, I am a fan of Infidel Body Armor, and appreciated the recent review by Pat: Pat’s Product Review – Infidel Body Armor Goes Soft. As a member of the LE community, I always wear [Level] IIIA soft armor on duty, and while it will stop some rifle rounds, a piece of ceramic or steel armor is definitely better as it spreads the impact over a larger area. My reason for writing is to familiarize your readers with an aspect of all soft body armor that carries NIJ ballistic ratings. It is very important to note that the ratings allow …

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James Wesley Rawles

James Wesley, Rawles (JWR) is Founder and Senior Editor of SurvivalBlog, the original prepping /survival blog for when the Schumer Hits The Fan (SHTF). He began SurvivalBlog in 2005. It now reaches more than 320,000 unique visitors weekly.
JWR is a journalist, technical writer, and novelist. His survivalist novel Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse, is a modern classic that reached #3 on the New York Times bestsellers list. Two of his other novels have also been best New York Times bestsellers.
Jim is the originator of the American Redoubt movement and a frequent talk show guest on shows such as Alex Jones. He is also a retreat consultant specializing in off-grid living, rural relocation, and survival preparedness.

Hugh James Latimer

Hugh James Latimer (HJL) is the Managing Editor of SurvivalBlog, the original blog for prepping and survival for when SHTF, where he manages the blog's day-to-day operations, applying his diverse technical, management, and editorial expertise.
HJL earned college degrees in engineering, metallurgy, and education and has worked as Technical Editor for five international technical journals and as an engineer for Sandia National Laboratories. His deep scientific background ranges from aerospace engineering to systems administration and owning his own technology-intensive business.
HJL is a firefighter/EMT, and Ham radio operator. He's a Libertarian, an Eagle Scout, and most importantly a devoted follower of Jesus and the Bible.

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